Britannia Challenge Cup 2012
The Britannia Challenge Cup is the event for men’s club coxed fours at Henley Royal Regatta. In 2012 it was won by Star Club of Bedford, who beat Taurus Boat Club by three feet in the final in a time of 7:44.
The final
| Date | Sunday 1 July 2012 |
| Winner | Star Club |
| Runner-up | Taurus B.C. |
| Verdict | 3 feet |
| Time | 7:44 |
Three feet is under a metre, in a boat more than thirteen metres long. Only one final that day was closer: Harvard’s one-foot win over Leander in the Ladies’ Plate.
The win was Star Club’s first at Henley in its own right in the club’s 52-year history.
Conditions were slow all week. The river was carrying a strong stream after heavy rain and the crews raced into a headwind, which is why a winning time of 7:44 sits well outside the quicker years.
About the event
The Britannia is one of the club events at Henley, alongside the Thames Challenge Cup for eights and the Wyfold Challenge Cup for coxless fours. Entry is limited to club crews, with restrictions on rowers who have competed at senior international level.
Until 2004, student and club coxed fours raced together in the Britannia. The student crews were then given their own event, which became the Prince Albert Challenge Cup in 2006, and the Britannia has been a club event since.
The men’s coxed four has not been an Olympic boat class since 1992, but it remains a staple of British club rowing.
Recent finals
| Year | Winner | Runner-up | Verdict | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Molesey B.C. | Ortner B.C. | 2 1/2 lengths | 7:26 |
| 2009 | Agecroft R.C. | Vesta R.C. | Under 1 length | |
| 2012 | Star Club | Taurus B.C. | 3 feet | 7:44 |
Earlier rounds
Results from the earlier rounds of the 2012 event, including the quarter-finals, have not yet been added to this page. They will appear here once they have been checked against the regatta’s published results.